Smoking
by cmfanbex
Summary: JJ goes it alone on a case in Baltimore.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I'm back! Sorry for the long absence from FF. Life got on top of me for a while and writing became yet another thing in life that was causing me stress. Things are a little more under control now so I started to write this a few weeks ago. It was meant to be a quick one-shot to get back into writing, but has developed into more – possibly 2 or 3 chapters. Please forgive any mistakes/poor writing – I feel like I'm starting out again!**

Smoking

Chapter 1

Agent Jennifer Jareau sat looking sympathetically at the tearful woman across from her. Two days previously JJ had driven up to Baltimore alone, on yet another stalker case.

25 year old Katie Leonard had been receiving unusual gifts and obsessive love notes for months and had finally approached the BAU after the notes had turned threatening and the local PD had refused to help. JJ had immediately recognised a number of signs which indicated that this case could quickly become critical and had tried to convince Hotch to involve the team. Whilst sympathetic, he hadn't been prepared to assign the BAU to a single stalker case. Following JJ's impassioned pleas, he had finally agreed to have Prentiss come up with a basic profile which he hesitantly agreed to allow JJ to deliver in person. He had made sure that she was completely aware that she would have to return to Quantico immediately if the team were called in on another case.

That had become a moot point just under an hour earlier, however, when Katie's stalker had badly injured her boyfriend by setting fire to the office where he worked. JJ had been with Katie at her apartment when the stalker himself had called to take responsibility for the fire. Katie was desperate to visit her boyfriend in the hospital, but the unsub had made some horribly specific threats against Katie and her 6-month old daughter. JJ had been tasked with keeping them safe whilst they waited for the rest of the team to join her.

Shifting slightly in her seat, JJ looked down at the sleeping child in her arms. She had finally managed to calm the fretful baby, who was clearly picking up on her Mother's panic.

"I'm just going to lay her in her crib" JJ said gently.

Katie merely nodded, her eyes clouded with emotion.

JJ carried 6-month old Kayla into a room at the back of the apartment and laid her down, covering her gently with a light blanket.

"Can I get you something to eat Katie?" she asked as she walked back into the main room.

"No thanks" Katie said quietly. "I'm really not hungry."

"What about a drink?" JJ offered.

"Tea would be great" Katie replied with a grateful smile.

"My team are on their way from Quantico" JJ said as she pottered in the little kitchen, hoping that she sounded reassuring. "They already have a profile and our analyst is tracing the call made to your cell earlier."

"It's still too late to stop Steve getting hurt" Katie said angrily.

"I know" JJ said, turning to face the young woman, "and I'm truly sorry."

"It's not your fault" Katie said with a resigned sigh. "You're the only person who has actually taken me seriously with this. I'm just worried about Steve."

"I understand" JJ said, turning back to the kitchen. "Hopefully we can get this sorted quickly and then you can get to the hospital. The Doctors said he will make a full recovery."

"I know they did" Katie said with a slight smile, "but I can't help but worry. I'm the reason he's in hospital."

"No you're not" JJ said firmly, finishing the tea and turning with the mug in her hand. "None of this is ..."

She was interrupted by a crash and an ominous rushing sound coming from the baby's room. As the smell of burning reached her she dropped the mug of tea.

"Do not move" she shouted to Katie, already rushing towards the room.

"Kayla" Katie shouted in panic.

"I'll get Kayla" JJ called to her as she entered to room which was already filling with smoke. "You need to stay there."

Briefly hoping that Katie would follow her instructions, JJ quickly made her way into the smoke filled room. She was, for once, happy to hear a baby crying since it was a sign that she was still breathing. The window which led out onto the fire escape had been smashed, but was almost entirely blocked by raging fire. JJ scooped up the baby, holding her close to her chest. Coughing slightly as she felt the thick smoke clogging her lungs, she turned back to the door. The fire had already spread, but thankfully had yet to block her exit. Through the roaring of the fire JJ was sure she heard another crash and the distant sound of a woman screaming. As she rushed into the main room her worst fears were confirmed – the front door to the apartment was in flames and Katie was rolling round on the floor, desperately trying to put out the fire which had somehow spread to her legs.

JJ hurriedly placed the baby on the floor, as far away from the fire as she could and rushed to the young woman who was still writhing on the floor.

"Hold still" she screamed, frantically hitting out at Katie's legs with her bare hands, eventually managing to put out the flames.

"Can you walk?" she asked her, as she moved back to pick up Kayla and check that she was OK. The child had worryingly stopped crying and, whilst she was breathing, her lips were beginning to turn blue. Realising that she needed to get the baby out of the smoke filled apartment as quickly as possible, JJ didn't pause to wait for Katie's answer, merely calling out for her to follow her into the master bedroom.

"We have to get Kayla out of here" she called as she moved towards the window, cursing when she saw that it was closed.

Once again placing the baby on the floor, she approached the window and tried to open it. The window wouldn't budge and JJ cried out in pain, for the first time noticing that both of her hands were badly burnt. Searching worriedly around the room, she began to panic. How was she going to get out of this?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thanks for the reviews/favourites/alerts. They have really boosted me up!**

Chapter 2

Stealing herself against the pain, JJ tried again to open the window. When it began to move slowly she realised it wasn't locked, just old and rarely opened. The pain in her hands was excruciating, but she eventually managed to open the window enough to escape the now smoke-filled room. Grabbing the baby from the floor JJ stepped out onto the fire escape, blinking her eyes rapidly in an attempt to clear the tears caused by the smoke.

"Kayla?" she heard a female voice call. As she turned she saw a teenage girl and an older woman (probably her mother) running towards her.

"FBI Agent Jennifer Jareau" she introduced herself quickly. "I need you to get Kayla to the paramedics as soon as possible. Katie is still inside. What are your names so I can find you later?"

"Janie and Alicia Smart" the older woman replied. "We'll send up some help."

JJ didn't stop to respond. Having handed Kayla over to the woman she turned and made her way back into the apartment. Immediately choking as the thick wall of smoke hit her, she dropped to the floor in an effort to find clear air so she could breathe ... and see. Slowly crawling back into the main room, putting her weight on her elbows in order to protect her damaged hands, she called Katie's name and waited for a response. Receiving none, she painstakingly searched the room on her hands (or elbows) and knees, eventually locating an unconscious Katie. By now, JJ's eyes were streaming and she was really struggling to take a breath, but she knew that she had to do what she could to get Katie to safety.

Standing up, she bent down to catch hold of Katie underneath her armpits. Taking a sharp breath as the pain shot through her hands and up her arms, she transferred the woman's weight onto her elbows, coughing as the smoke hit her lungs. She slowly moved backwards, hopefully in the direction of the open window. After a dozen or so steps, she stumbled and fell backwards against the wall, nearly dropping Katie in the process. Cursing, she looked around her, trying to find her bearings. Faced with an impenetrable barrier of smoke she considered giving up. She was exhausted and felt the overwhelming urge to drop to the floor and fall asleep. She attempted to take a deep breath and began to cough and choke uncontrollably. As she slid slowly down the wall to sit on the floor, she could hear footsteps and the sounds of breathing equipment.

"We're here" she called, the effort making the coughing much worse.

Within seconds two firemen appeared through the smoke and made their way over to the two women. The first lifted the unconscious Katie and the second leant down to pick up JJ.

"I can walk" she said determinedly, using his arm to help pull herself off the floor.

The fireman didn't argue, merely wrapping an arm behind her and guiding her quickly out of the building and onto the fire escape.

As soon as she stepped out into the clear air, she immediately tried to take a deep breath. She quickly regretted the action when it caused her to collapse into an uncontrollable coughing fit. Her knees gave way and it was only the fireman's strong arms which stopped her from hitting the floor. Without a word he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and used the other to lift her legs off the floor.

"I'm fine" she choked out weakly.

The fireman ignored her and rapidly carried her down the stairs before placing her on a waiting stretcher. A young female paramedic immediately placed an oxygen mask over her face.

"Agent Jareau?" the paramedic inquired.

JJ nodded in reply, trying to pull the mask off using her damaged hands.

"Katie and Kayla?" she said hoarsely. "Where are they? Are they...?"

"The other two casualties are both on their way to the ER" the paramedic said softly, determinedly placing the mask back on JJ's face. "They're both critical, but still alive."

JJ reached up to lift the mask again and took a breath to speak, but again collapsed into a coughing fit.

"Keep the mask on Agent Jareau" the paramedic said. "Let me treat your hands."

Giving in to the exhaustion which was beginning to creep in, JJ sat back and allowed the young girl to cover her hands in cool, wet bandages. As she finished with the hands and moved onto JJ's eyes, which were still streaming painfully, an older paramedic approached the stretcher and began asking questions.

"What do we have?" he asked the young girl.

"Agent Jareau was taken out of the apartment which was on fire" the younger paramedic answered. "She has partial thickness burns to both hands and is showing clear signs of smoke inhalation – coughing, wheezing and hoarseness. The smoke has also irritated her eyes."

"What treatment have you given?" the man asked.

"Immediate oxygen therapy" the girl answered confidently. "I've put wet dressings on the burns and am in the process of preparing a wash for her eyes. I think she may need a bronchodilator, but wanted to wait for you to make that decision."

"Good job Nikki" the man said, before turning to JJ.

"Agent Jareau, my name is Phil" he said as she stood directly in front of her. "I'm going to take the oxygen mask off temporarily so that I can ask some questions, OK?"

JJ nodded and Phil carefully pulled the mask down from her face.

"Are you in any pain?" he asked.

"My hands hurt" JJ said hoarsely, surprised at how much effort she was having to put into taking a breath.

"It sounds like you're struggling to take proper breaths" Phil said, "so I'm going to administer a drug that will help to relax your bronchial tubes. If that doesn't work I may need to intubate."

JJ nodded worriedly and followed Phil's instructions for using the inhaler which he placed in her mouth, coughing slightly as the drug hit the back of her throat. As they waited for the drug to kick in, the younger paramedic returned to wash out JJ's eyes with a clear, cool liquid while Phil asked JJ questions about her medical history.

As they both finished JJ was relieved to feel the tightness in her chest relax slightly. Phil returned the mask to her face and, with Nikki's help, wheeled the stretcher into the ambulance, explaining to JJ that they would be travelling to the nearest ER to get her burns treated properly. As Nikki drove them the short distance to the hospital, Phil checked and redressed her burns, placing a line into her hand to administer pain killers. Despite the improvement caused by the inhaler which Phil had given her earlier, JJ continued to cough and choke on her way to the ER. It was still a struggle to take a proper breath and she was beginning to worry about what damage had been done.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Agent Aaron Hotchner rushed into Maryland General Hospital ER, followed by the rest of his team, and approached the front desk with his ID already open.

"We're here to see Agent Jennifer Jareau" he said firmly.

"Agent Jareau is still being treated" the woman said after checking her computer. "If you sit down in the waiting area I'll tell her Doctor that you have arrived."

"Is she OK?" he asked worriedly.

"I can't tell you anymore" she said apologetically. "You'll need to wait for the Doctor."

Sighing, he turned to his team and indicated that they should move over to a group of empty seats. They sat in silence for nearly half an hour, waiting for news. Hotch managed to distract himself by analysing the nervous habits of his team.

To the untrained eye, David Rossi seemed unfazed by the situation, but Hotch could see his fingers drumming nervously on his thigh. Derek Morgan had refused to sit down and was pacing angrily in front of the chairs, looking a little like a caged tiger. Spencer Reid was curled into his seat, biting at his nails and Emily Prentiss was also biting her nails, whilst tapping her right foot on the floor.

Just as Hotch was about to make a comment in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, a Doctor approached their group.

"Agent Jareau?" he asked.

Hotch stood up and held out his hand to the Doctor.

"I'm Agent Hotchner" he said, shaking the man's hand. "I'm Agent Jareau's supervisor. How is she?"

"I'm Dr Matthews" the man replied. "I've been treating Agent Jareau. She is currently being treated for partial thickness burns to both hands. She is also receiving oxygen therapy for smoke inhalation."

"Will she be OK?" Emily asked.

"The burns are painful, but will heal within a few weeks" the Doctor responded. "She is on Tramadol for the pain, so is slightly drowsy. The smoke inhalation is more of a concern. She has developed a nasty cough and her breathing is still laboured, despite being given oxygen and drugs to relax her bronchial tubes. We are going to need to monitor that for the next 24 hours. If the situation doesn't improve we may need to intubate and give her some extra help."

"Can we see her?" Hotch asked.

"Of course" Dr Matthews replied, "but only two at a time if you don't mind."

"Emily, you come with me" Hotch said authoritatively. "The rest of you can wait here."

The Doctor led them down a corridor and stopped outside a room labelled trauma 2.

"She's been asking about the woman and child who were also in the fire" Dr Matthews said. "Nobody has given her any information yet. We thought it would be best coming from someone she knows."

"What is the news?" Emily asked, sounding worried.

"Both are in a serious condition" the Doctor said. "Katie is still unconscious and has had to be intubated. We are hopeful that she will eventually make a full recovery. Kayla, however, is critical. At 6 months old her lungs are simply not developed enough to cope with this level of trauma. She is currently in Paediatric ICU, but her doctors are not hopeful."

Hotch's heart dropped at this news. He knew that JJ would take it badly. With a nod to the Doctor, he and Emily walked in through the door and over to JJ's bed.

"Thank God" JJ said hoarsely. "Please tell me you're here to get me out. I need to make sure Katie and Kayla are OK."

"I'm afraid you're here for at least 24 hours JJ" Hotch said kindly, but firmly. "The Doctors need to monitor your breathing."

"I'm fine" JJ insisted, even as she struggled to stifle a cough. "I need to find Katie and Kayla."

"They're being treated here Jayje" Emily said softly. "There is nothing you can do to help them now – the doctors are looking after them."

"So they're ..." JJ stuttered, allowing herself to look vulnerable for the first time. "They're not..."

"They're alive JJ" Hotch interjected, "but they are both in a serious condition."

"How serious?" JJ asked, her voice catching slightly.

"They're both still unconscious" Emily explained quietly. "Katie's doctors are hopeful that she will eventually make a full recovery."

"Kayla?" JJ asked tearfully.

"She's in ICU JJ" Hotch said, sitting next to the injured agent. "Her lungs are struggling to cope with the trauma. She inhaled too much smoke."

"I got her out as soon as I could" JJ said, impatiently wiping a tear from her eye.

"It's not your fault Jayje" Emily said sympathetically. "You're the reason they're still alive; that they've still got a chance – however slim."

"You couldn't have done anymore JJ" Hotch said seriously.

Hotch watched nervously as JJ sat back and took in the news. As they went silent, JJ's laboured breathing became much more obvious.

"Are the rest of the team at the crime scene?" JJ eventually asked after a few minutes silence.

"They're waiting outside" Emily said with a slight smile. "They're all worried about you."

Hotch was shocked when JJ shot up, obviously angry.

"They shouldn't be here" she shouted, or tried to shout. "They should be out there trying to find him before he hurts anyone else."

As she finished talking she collapsed into a coughing fit, leaning forward and choking uncontrollably. The Doctor, who had been stood by the door as they spoke, rushed forward and tried to gently push JJ back until she was laid back against the pillows.

"Agent Jareau" he said, looking directly into her eyes. "I need you to calm down for me."

JJ stared back at the man and clearly made an effort to stop coughing, but was unable to control it.

"Nurse, I need a glass of water" the Doctor ordered, without looking away from JJ.

"I need you to breathe with me" he said firmly. "In ... and out ... and in ... and out..."

Hotch looked on as JJ slowly managed to follow Dr Matthews' instructions and began to calm down. Within a few minutes she was calm enough to take a few sips of the water that the nurse held out for her. As she finished drinking, she sank back against the bed, clearly exhausted.

"I need you to stay calm Agent Jareau" the Doctor said firmly. "Your SATS are already worryingly low and each coughing fit takes them lower. If we don't think you are getting enough oxygen we will have to put you on a ventilator. Do you understand?"

JJ nodded tiredly, but turned towards Hotch and Emily.

"We need to find him" she whispered, almost desperately.

"Local PD have already arrested one man JJ" Hotch said. "They believe he is the brother of our unsub. He was caught running away from the apartment building. They already have the name of the unsub. Local PD have everything under control."

"Well forgive me for not believing that" JJ said angrily, still obviously struggling to breathe properly. "If they had had things under control when they should, I wouldn't be lying here and Kayla wouldn't be ... she wouldn't ..."

"I understand JJ" Hotch said calmly. "Rossi and I will go to the station and make sure everything is going to plan."

JJ nodded, her eyes closing despite her best efforts.

"Get some rest JJ" Hotch ordered. "I'll let Emily know if anything happens."

As he walked out of the room and went back to the waiting area, JJ was already dropping off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I am yet again sorry for the ridiculously long wait for this chapter. No excuses this time!**

Chapter 4

Two hours after Hotch had left JJ was thankfully still sleeping. Morgan and Reid had both popped in to check on her, but had returned to the waiting room; leaving Emily to watch the sleeping agent. JJ had stirred on a number of occasions, her sleep disturbed by coughing, but hadn't really woken properly. Emily could tell, however, that she was still struggling to breathe properly. As Emily watched her, JJ began to stir again, coughing violently. Emily watched, hoping that she would be able to settle herself, as she had done before. Unfortunately this coughing fit seemed to be worse than the others and JJ was soon completely awake and gasping for air.

Emily grabbed a glass of water and headed over to the bed. Recalling the Doctor's actions from earlier, she calmly talked JJ out of the coughing fit, before handing her some water.

"Thanks" JJ croaked.

"No problem" Emily responded. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone is sat on my chest" JJ answered sardonically, "but I've felt worse. Have you heard anything from the others?"

"Not yet" Emily said.

"What about Katie and Kayla?" JJ pushed.

"I haven't been out of your room Jayje" Emily answered. "I'll go out and send Morgan and Reid in and I'll call Hotch and ask the Doctors how things are going, OK?"

"Thanks" JJ said with a grateful smile.

Emily gave her friend a quick hug before making her way back out to the waiting room.

"How is she?" Derek said, standing as she approached.

"She's awake" Emily informed him; "Coughing alot, but she seems OK. I'm going to talk to the Doctors about Kate and Kayla and call Hotch. JJ wants to know what's going on. I told her I'd send you both in."

"I spoke to Hotch about ten minutes ago" Spencer said. "They have a name and address for our main suspect and they were on their way to arrest him. At the moment, we're still not sure why he targeted Katie."

"Hopefully we can get this sorted before Jayje is discharged" Emily said. "You go and tell her about the case and I'll talk to the docs."

Reid and Morgan agreed and walked in the direction of JJ's room. Emily made her way over to the reception area.

"I need to speak to the Doctors who have been treating Katie and Kayla Leonard" she requested, displaying her badge.

"I'll find Dr Shaw" the receptionist replied helpfully. "She has been leading on both cases."

Emily thanked her as she picked up the phone, hopefully to page Dr Shaw.

"She's on her way down" the girl said a few moments later.

Emily smiled and turned round to wait for the Doctor. She looked around the waiting room and noted that it was unusually quiet. There were a couple of drunk teenagers and a small family group who were obviously waiting for news, but that was it. Emily hoped that meant that nobody else had been injured in the fire.

"Agent Prentiss?" a voice called from behind her.

"Dr Shaw?" she responded, turning towards the voice.

A young female Doctor was approaching her from behind the reception area. She smiled at Emily and indicated an empty area in the waiting room for them to sit down in.

"You want to know about Katie and Kayla Leonard?" the Doctor asked.

"We were given some information a few hours ago" Emily answered, "but Agent Jareau would like to know if there's been any change."

"Is that the Agent who got Kayla out of the building?" the Doctor asked, continuing as Emily nodded. "Katie is doing much better. She is conscious, although she is still receiving help with her breathing and it is likely that she will need assistance for some time yet."

"And Kayla?" Emily asked, almost cringing as she waited for the response that she was dreading, but expecting.

"Well, that young lady has actually managed to surprise every Doctor who has worked with her" the Doctor replied. "We honestly didn't expect her to survive for more than a few hours, but she has actually made a small improvement. Don't get me wrong; she is still critical, but things are looking slightly brighter than they were when she first got here."

"Will she make a full recovery?" Emily asked.

"It's still early to tell at the moment" the Doctor said cautiously. "She will have to be monitored carefully. She may still deteriorate rapidly in the next 24 hours and even if she survives there could be some serious long term effects."

"Thank you Doctor" Emily said, standing as it became obvious that the Doctor had finished speaking.

"I'll let you know if there's any change" the Doctor offered as she walked away.

Emily quickly thanked her before walking back towards JJ's room. As she approached the door she could hear Reid babbling on about stalker cases and a variety of relevant statistics whilst Morgan teased him. When she walked into the room she could see that JJ was sat up in the bed and was smiling at Reid as he talked.

"Give it a rest Morgan" Emily said. "Leave him alone."

"What?" said Morgan, trying to look innocent. "I was just..."

"You were just what Morgan?" JJ said quietly, sounding a little better than she had done earlier.

"It's OK guys" Reid interrupted. "I barely hear him anymore."

JJ and Emily laughed at Morgan's mock-hurt look, causing JJ to start coughing slightly.

"How are they?" she asked as soon as the coughing stopped.

"They're both doing a little better" Emily answered. "Katie is conscious, but still receiving assistance with her breathing. The Doctor seemed confident that she would make a good recovery. Kayla is still critical, but is doing better than expected. The Doctor said that there is more hope than there was before, but she could still deteriorate."

"CanI go and see Katie?" JJ asked.

"Not at the moment" a voice called from the doorway. "You're still being monitored."

"I'm feeling fine" JJ said firmly as Dr Matthews walked into the room.

"Mmmhmm" the Doctor said sceptically. "Let me be the judge of that."

The Doctor checked JJ's chart and asked her a few questions, pushing JJ to be completely honest in her answers.

"You do seem to be doing much better" the Doctor said when she had finished her checks. "Your oxygen saturation is higher than it was, but is still not where we would expect it to be and your hands are clearly still causing you some pain."

"But I'm..." JJ started to argue.

"Fine..." the Doctor finished, clearly not fooled. "I know –you said. Look Agent Jareau. I know you want to check on Ms Leonard. I do understand that, but you need to be aware that you are still receiving oxygen at the moment. You cannot leave this room until we have your sats up to normal without the oxygen."

"But..." JJ stuttered.

"But nothing" the Doctor said firmly. "I know what you FBI agents are like. Ms Leonard is recovering well. Her boyfriend is with her and you can visit her in 24 hours, when we discharge you, and not before."

"24 hours?" JJ whined, causing Emily to have to conceal a smirk – it looked like the blonde agent had met her match.

"24 hours" the Doctor said firmly before leaving the room.

Before JJ could start to bitch about the Doctor's decision they were all distracted by Morgan's phone ringing.

"Hotch?" he answered before going quiet for some minutes as he listened to Hotch's update.

"I'll let her know" he finally said, quickly finishing the call.

"Well?" JJ prompted, pushing herself up slightly as she waited for an answer.

"They got him" Morgan said simply. "His name is Declan Godden. He apparently dated Katie in High School and developed an obsession with her. He targeted Steve and Kayla because they were in the way of him starting a family with Katie. He never meant for her to get hurt in the fire. Both he and his brother are in custody now."

"He was willing to kill a baby for some ridiculous fantasy?" JJ asked incredulously.

"It wasn't ridiculous to him Jayje" Emily said. "I'm sure, in his head, it was all perfectly reasonable..."

Emily stopped as JJ snorted her disbelief, quickly regretting it as it caused another coughing fit.

"Damn it" she said, clutching at her chest.

"Are you OK Jayje?" Emily asked worriedly, handing her a glass of water.

"I'm just sick of it" JJ said through gritted teeth.

"Give it some time" Emily said, attempting to placate her. "The coughing will calm down soon."

"I know" JJ said, lying back against the pillows as the coughing stopped. "It's just so exhausting."

"Then get some sleep girl" Morgan said lightly. "You're not going anywhere anytime soon. You might as well make the best of it."

Emily was amazed when JJ didn't argue, but merely turned her head and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

**AN I'm going to leave it there. I'm not entirely happy with the ending, but I feel like I needed to get it finished!**


End file.
